Growth
by Dark Ice Dragon
Summary: The training had started as normal but M-21 finds out that one thing has changed since he got stronger.


**Summary**: The training had started as normal but M-21 finds out that one thing has changed since he got stronger.

Contains swearing.

Set post-season 5. Spoilers for season 5.

So, chapter 272 had one specific point that had me laughing…

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**************Growth**

By Dark Ice Dragon

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Tao hummed as he tapped on his pocket computer, and M-21 waited for him to come to a decision, eyeing the practice dummy on the other side of the room.

"Think we need to figure out if you can do smaller slashes," Tao said, looking up from his screen. "The power's good, but if it misses, you're leaving yourself open."

M-21 nodded, quashing his memories of M-24 before he dwelled on them for too long. Later. The next time – _later_. He flexed his hands, feeling the familiar itch as his nails lengthened into claws, as the fur sprouted from his skin. It was still strange feeling it spread all the way up his arms rather than only at the back of his hands but – why was his scalp tingling?

Tao suddenly howling with laughter didn't help M-21's unease, and when he carefully threaded his fingers through his hair, he found his hair hadn't spiked up like he'd expected it to be, but it was going down… And it was a lot longer than it had been before.

He grabbed a handful of hair, bringing it around so he could see it properly and M-21's eyes widened when he realised _just_ how long it was. It looked like it would reach past his ass and M-21 let go, already grimacing when Tao finally stopped laughing. When Tao stopped laughing, that meant he was going to _say_ something.

"Okay, change back," Tao said, grinning widely, "'cause we need to see if your new hairstyle's permanent."

M-21 had a sinking feeling he already knew what the answer was (and so did Tao), but he did it anyway. His arms tingled, but when M-21 shook his head, he could feel his hair catching on his shirt. Fuck. How did becoming stronger mean he suddenly grew longer hair? …Was it because of his heart?

"Here," he heard Tao say and M-21 looked across in time to see Tao flick one of the hair ties he normally kept on his wrist to him. M-21 caught it and then tied it around his hair like he'd seen Takeo do it.

He raised an eyebrow at Tao's appraising look when he was done. "What?"

"You tied it at your nape." Tao continued before M-21 could say anything. "Takeo usually ties his in a high ponytail, while Miss Seira keeps hers loose." He nodded. "Your look's still distinctive."

"Tao," M-21 said, feeling a headache forming, "I _don't care_." Why did that matter?

"_You_ might not," Tao said, sighing, "but you need to be easily identifiable – don't want to be mistaken for the wrong person."

M-21 wanted to roll his eyes, but Tao had a point, from his perspective – if he directed someone to the wrong person in the middle of a fight… There was one thing, though. "You can't do that by hair colour?"

Tao snickered. "Everything helps, you know? Anyway, back to business," he said, gesturing towards the dummy. "We can ask Boss to give you a haircut afterwards."

M-21 nodded, transforming his hands again (there wasn't any accompanying tingle on his head this time) and turned to face the dummy. Getting used to having long hair and getting a haircut after every time they sparred was going to be a pain in the ass but it wasn't like there was anything else they could do about it.

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Does this count as another 'playing with hair' fic? Or just focusing on hair, haha.

I really hope the trio find out about the werewolf ON SCREEN, omg. D:

M-21 was going to cut his hair when he transformed back, but to do that, he would need to transform his hands, so that makes the point rather moot. And there would just be too many transformations in one fic, haha. XD;

I have no idea what those things that Tao keeps around his wrist are (bangles, probably?), but for the purposes of this fic, they're hair ties he keeps on him for when Takeo loses his in a fight. XDD


End file.
